Nobody expected an 800cc sports car to tear your face off with its acceleration, but the Toyota Sports 800 had to beat the Honda S800 by being more aerodynamic and harvesting every bit of power out of that tiny engine and its two carburetors.

To do that, Toyota used aircraft-grade aluminum wherever it was possible to keep the roadster's weight down to 1,268 pounds. Compared to that, my tiny Autobianchi is a heavyweight at 1,488. But hey, at least mine seats five four.

With its Plexiglas-covered headlamps, aerodynamically optimized bumpers, high-compression engine and targa roof, the Sports 800 is the pinnacle of kei car engineering.

With less than 300 made in left-hand drive, seeing one in the US today is a moment you won't forget. Especially if it parks next to a Camry.